A Contemporary Vision for Catholic Education Catholic Schools A Contemporary Vision for Catholic Education

What is a Contemporary Vision of Catholic Education? A clear understanding of context and audience The human person that we are called to educate The teachings of the Catholic Church Expectations that are placed upon those who serve in Catholic education

The Context for our Work Today Strengths of our contemporary world flowing from technology, science, communication and advances in education Contemporary society very often based upon individualism and the freedom of human reason Be your own person and make your own judgments and decisions

The appeal to God or any higher authority for guidance and direction in life becomes more remote Appeal to human reason of every person as source of direction and life

Imagine… World tells you what to “imagine” and believe Leading to a fragmented humanity and society A wilderness experience

“The split between the Gospel and culture is undoubtedly the tragedy of our time.” Pope Paul VI 1975

Despite the efforts of so many of us, the faith and dedication of too many Catholics does not seem to have reached the critical mass needed to sustain their Catholic faith and keep up its practice over the course of our lives.

Not all Depressing! Deep in the lives of every human being is desire for fulfilment and happiness There is a restlessness within the human spirit There is a true “human Search” for meaning and purpose of life Recognition that what the world offers and the challenge of daily living is not enough

St. Augustine of Hippo “You have made us for yourself and our hearts find no rest until they rest in you”

Science, technology and human reason are simply not enough to sustain the human person and bring them to happiness The gift of faith opens up a new world Imagine who we are in relation to God and to one another and the world around us

Catholic Education: A New World View New imagination of the human person Creating and shaping an understanding of every human person made in the image and likeness of God “The divine imprint of God within us” We only come to know the truth about ourselves in our relation to God

World of today is in danger of obscuring this vision of the human person Catholic education always presupposes and understanding of human person made in the image and likeness of God The discovery of looking to Christ and discovering the true meaning of every human person

Human Person “The person of each individual human being in his or her material and spiritual needs is at the heart of Christ’s teaching: this is why the promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic school.”

What is a Contemporary Vision of Catholic Education? A clear understanding of context and audience The human person that we are called to educate The teachings of the Catholic Church Expectations that are placed upon those who serve in Catholic education

The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium “Stressing our vital relationship with Christ, reminds us that the fullness of truth about ourselves is to be found in him.” The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium

At best Catholic education as part of the mission of the Church brings a real focus to the human person An imagination that tells us that the people we are called to educate are to flourish as people in relation to God and the world around them So what does this mean?

The curriculum and every educational experience we provide must serve this flourishing of the human person This is the virtue of Catholic education Whatever area of the curriculum we are teaching the flourishing of the human person is our aim

This is the challenge of high expectations and developing a creative curriculum Demands that every member of staff “think and act outside of the box” Living with the tension of external expectations and a Catholic vision Every member of staff lives and contributes to this vision

True human flourishing means teaching and learning forms the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, physical dimension of our students As we help young people discover their true identity we equip them with tools to shape the culture and world of today

How Do We Achieve This? Fostering our relationship with Christ Our lives can become so full that we can loose sight of God’s love and mercy and our attraction to that which is holy Fostering a daily pattern of prayer in our lives a relation between God and me A relationship nourished by the Sacraments of the Church

If we want to come to know God and help our children and young people discover the truth about themselves we need to find that dwelling place of God within us The Sacraments are always and “event” and action of Christ If we have neglected this it is time to return

In each school we need to provide opportunities for the spiritual formation of our staff Prayer at staff meetings, retreats, celebrating the Seasons of the Church’s year Prayer as part of the rhythm of our daily lives

“The most valuable gift that the Church can offer to the bewildered and restless world of our time is to form within it Christians who are confirmed in what is essential and who are humbly joyful in their faith” Pope John Paul II

Catholic education and vision of the human person is the work of the Church Educators in Catholic schools need to appreciate what the Church teaches and the life that it offers Induction and on-going formation of staff in school must include formation into Church teaching and Catholic life

Staff need to be “religiously literate” if they are to provide opportunities for the human flourishing of young people in a Catholic School We can never side–step the teaching of the Church in supporting human flourishing Christ continues to abide in His Church

To work in a Catholic school challenges us to be people of faith and at least open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in our lives This faith is that of the Church which is given to us. Church is our “Mother” from Her our life of faith flows Educators with responsibility to the Church

Living by the gift of faith is not always easy “In the end, faith is exactly beyond the bounds of what we know, a presence beyond the known and seen, a voice that can surprise us and draw us beyond our self interest, even beyond what we thought was possible”

“Faith consists in reacting before God as Mary did, I don’t understand it, Lord, but let it be done to me according to your will.”

To be a real Catholic educator means that you are ready to live and imagine the purpose of education in a new way This is the goal of the new school year May God who begins this work in us bring it to fulfilment

A Few Thoughts… Have I lost my spiritual mooring? If the Lord is not the centre of my life what is the first step I can take to return to this sacred space? When was the last time you studied / reflected upon the Catholic faith? Do you find it hard to embrace your faith with questions and difficulties – how can you face them?

What is the improvements that you think your living of faith needs right now? What is your next step? What might you ask of your faith here and now that you have not in the past?